XForces
by wintry evolution
Summary: a detective agency-two rival police teams-a nosy reporter-in search of an elusive murderer-completed chapter 4 posted. do read and review. :) Thanks.
1. XForces 1

X-Forces 

By: Wintry Evolution

25/12/2002

Chapter 1 

Friday, Dec 11, 15:45:01

The hooded figure edged closer to her and her fearful eyes darted around her surroundings, searching for a way out. Unfortunately, it was a deserted area and no one in their right frame of minds would come unless they were… up to something bad. Her heart lurched in horror at the words. She did not want to die here. It would be so undignified.

"Why are you doing this?" She cried, hoping to buy her some time.

The knife glinted brightly under the hot afternoon sun and the girl shielded her eyes with her hands instinctively from the brilliant flash of light shining her way. The next thing she knew was an unbearable streak of pain shooting through every fiber of her body and again and again… until she could feel it no more…

* * *

Saturday, Dec 12, 09:50:54 

A tall, strapping man at 1.88 meters, with blazing red hair, mischievous eyes and a boastful, know-it-all demeanor that belied the true talents and wit hidden beneath his exterior, Hanamichi Sakuragi, had, on purpose, altered the volume of the ringer of the cordless telephone from "low" to "very high"; evidently with the intention of blasting his colleague awake when someone called later.

And someone did. 

In the silence of the room, it sounded like a police siren but unfortunately; his colleague did not stir from his slumber. Unknown to the redhead, Kenji Fujima had worked till late in the night with his younger sister on her project, which was due later this morning. Therefore, he was stealing some sleep now before the next client walked into their office.

Their office was located on the second floor of a building, an isolated infrastructure from the busy shopping paradise further down the street. In this particular building, there were obscure shops that sold potted plants and flowers that sometimes bite when they were in a bad mood; second-hand goods, which were so ugly and torn that nobody in their right frame of minds would buy them and it was a real wonder how the shop could still survive after so many years; books so antique that some of the words in them had already faded away. There were only three floors in this place; the ground, first and second floors. People, who had been here before would always tell you, "Never take the lift. Climb the stairs instead." That was how unreliable the lift was. Sometimes it could break down five times in merely an hour alone.

Anyway, their office was called 'Super Duper Hyper Private Investigations'. And below that name was written, 'We pride in efficiency, accuracy and the truth. We investigate anything from kidnappings to murders. Don't hesitate to come in.' 

Right now, only Sakuragi and Fujima were present; another two of their friends had gone gallivanting to goodness knows where.

At this moment, Sakuragi was glaring at his peacefully sleeping counterpart with outrage. How could he sleep when the ringing tone was set at its maximum volume? That was the tenth time it had rung during the past half-hour and Fujima never stirred once from his sleep. Urgh! Very miffed, the redhead grabbed the receiver and shouted very rudely and loudly into the phone. 

"HEELO, GOOD MORNING! SUPER DUPER HYPER PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS! HOW CAN I HELP YOU?!!!!"

On the other end of the line, a feminine voice screeched like a hyena once he had finished, "My dog's lost. Ruthie's lost. My poor dog…"

"Please, Mdm, we're not a lost and found agency. Let me…"

"You don't understand. She's kidnapped…"

Oh man, who would want to kidnap a worthless dog? The redhead hit his forehead with the heel of his palm and leaned his elbow against the table cluttered with lots of paperwork and snack wrappers. Go find someone else… He waited for a chance to squeeze in a word of his own but she was speaking way too fast for him to do so.

Exasperated by the woman's never-ending description about her beloved dog, Sakuragi had ceased his concentration on her voice and was handing his now awakened counterpart a piece of paper. On it was written in squiggly handwriting, 'Mrs. Smith. Ten AM'. It was one of the many clients, who had rung earlier.

However, before Fujima could read the message, the door burst open. The door wobbled dangerously, as if protesting the treatment meted to it. A well-dressed lady, adorned with glittering, gold rings that held diamonds bigger than that of Fujima's thumb and large, dangling earrings that pulled viciously on the poor ear lopes, entered the small, cramped office. With extreme distaste written plainly over her face, she glanced at the untidy tables and bare walls, as though it was beneath her position to be seen here at all.

Courteous as always, the brown-haired boy rose, walked briskly towards her and invited her to have a seat while motioning Sakuragi to pour a cup of coffee for the client. The lady sieved a bright pink handkerchief with the initials of A.S. sewn at the edge of it and wiped the seat with it before sitting down. 

Rolling his eyes upwards, Sakuragi blanched in undisguised revulsion at the action.

"I'll come straight to the point," the woman said in a high-pitched voice, "I want you to follow my daughter."

"Mdm…" Fujima started.

"Mrs. Smith."

"Mrs. Smith, what specifically do you…?" Fujima asked politely.

The lady fumbled in her bag and took out a photograph, "Everything. I want you to follow her twenty-four hours a day. This is her picture."

A pretty blond girl of eighteen smiled back at Fujima. She looked slightly nervous, her hands clasping the hems of her skirt tightly, although her smile seemed to dispute that fact. She had none of her mother's taste of jewelry though, preferring to dress in a simple white t-shirt and blue skirt. Her face was small and with all that long blonde hair swirling about her, it made her face appear even smaller.

"Where does your daughter usually hang out?"

* * *

Saturday, Dec 12, 09:51:21 

"Body found in the woods. Send one officer over here, will you?" A deep low growl was heard at the other end of the telephone.

"WHO can I send? There's nobody in the police station right now, it's the holiday season, kids are breaking into the convenience stores down the street, brawls over girlfriends, every officer available is dispatched to deal with those idiots," An exasperated Constable Kiyota gestured wildly into the telephone but the effect was lost on the person at the other end of the line, "_AND_ you want me to send another one to you, Inspector _Maki_?"

Author's notes:

_Merry Christmas, everyone! J Hope you enjoy reading this first part. Please do read and review! Thank you very much!_


	2. XForces 2

_Wow, 10 reviews for a first attempt. That's a very big encouragement for me to continue writing. I'm glad you guys like the first chapter. Thank you for your reviews! _

**Alexia**_ -- With regards to your question, here it is! _

_Now onto the next chapter… : )_ **X-Forces ** Winter Evolution 

30/12/2002

Chapter 2 Saturday, Dec 12, 09:52:46 

The door burst open a second time, causing it to wobble so dangerously that the hinges threatened to give way any moment. The brown-haired boy and his colleague need not look at the door to guess who the newcomers were. A tall, muscular boy with a huge grin plastered on his face peeked into the dreary office from the door and winked at his friends in a cheeky manner. Upon seeing Kenji's solemn face, however, Sendoh strode into the room with a paper bag packed with French loaves, vegetables, potatoes and some cabbages and placed them on the untidy table. After which he took the shaft of papers the older boy thrust into his hands and scanned through the details rapidly.

Just then another guy with an equally muscular build entered the office, reading the latest edition of 'Private Investigators' magazine and was not at all aware where he was going. As expected, he bumped into the spiky-haired boy.

"Sorry," he murmured, too engrossed in the article he was reading to care whether the other party was hurt.

"Stop reading for an instant, Mitsui." Sendoh sat himself at the edge of the table as he flipped the page of the file. "We've got ourselves a new case."

An alert Mitsui immediately set the editorial on top of the fridge and leaned against it. "Spit." 

"Firstly, we know she's eighteen. She likes hanging out at cafes, shopping malls and video stores…" Kenji started.

"Typical teenagers," muttered Sendoh under his breath as he flipped the page of the file, "According to her mum, she might have a boyfriend, who she is secretly meeting instead of going to school these past few weeks."

"So we are to follow this girl twenty four seven?" Mitsui took off his jacket and hung it on the stand; "This case is in Sendoh's league then? He's better at this sort of things."

"Yes." The brown-haired boy agreed but added, "I am thinking since we have no cases on hand currently, maybe we can take turns to follow her to avoid suspicion on her part if she happens to spot us somehow."

"So where do we start?" Sakuragi asked helpfully.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 09:53:50 

Rapid, resolute footsteps sounded crisply against the pathway scattered with dried twigs and branches. Thinking it was Kiyota; he wheeled around excitedly. Unfortunately the glare of the morning sun caught him right in the eye and he closed his eyes instinctively. Blocking the bright assault with his left hand, his heart fell in disappointment as he sighted two hazy figures moving towards him.

"What are you doing here?" Inspector Maki snorted right away when the intruders came into focus.

"This piece of land belongs to our district." Detective-Inspector Jin flashed the burly tanned man a half-smile before continuing, "Naturally, we should be present."

For easier control and management, Kanagawa was divided into two districts, District A and District B, headed by two different teams. Inspector Maki, the former and Detective-Inspector Jin, the latter. The two teams had been at loggerheads ever since the formation of the two regions for each wanted to show that it was better than the other. 

"Now if you would excuse me…" 

With a flick of his index finger, Detective-Inspector Jin motioned the pathologist to proceed with the routine check, whereupon a raven-haired young man stepped forward clumsily and bent down to examine the body lying on the grass. 

Looking as though he had a hung-over from the night before, the bleary-eyed Rukawa, touched the body with the back of his index finger. The body was cold. The person could have been dead for more than fifteen hours. However, judging from the strong wind blowing at that moment, which would have chilled the body more quickly than usual, there was also a high possibility that the person was only dead for a few hours. 

Scanning the entire body rapidly, his sharp eyes came to rest upon the clean-cut fingernails. They were cut in a manner that resembled that of a schoolgirl, more rectangular in shape than a lady's, which would be usually curved and pointed. Noting no more new discoveries about the corpse, he stood up and informed the pimp-faced Jin his deductions.

"You haven't touched anything, have you, Inspector?" Detective-Inspector Jin enquired casually, as if insinuating his rival's stupidity after Dr. Rukawa took his leave, "I don't want the crime scene contaminated in any way."

"No." The tanned man's curt tone spoke volumes of his low opinion of the young arrogant protagonist.  

_Where was that fool of a Kiyota?!_

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 09:54:21 

 "There's a murder at Kanagawa Woods?!" 

A shocked, though gleeful Ayako, who was supporting the receiver on her shoulder with her cheek, shrieked as she scribbled the bare details on the scrap of paper with her right hand and packing her stuff in her bag with the other. Upon her high-pitched scream, everyone in the office turned in her direction, their tongues clucking in severe disapproval at the lack of empathy she portrayed for the deceased. 

Like she cared anyway what her colleagues thought of her.

The moment she graduated from the faculty of Journalism in Tokyo University with the highest honors anyone could ever achieve, Gokanji Publishing House offered her a position in their firm before any other publishing companies could act. Despite the high salaries and attractive bonuses offered by many firms, she finally decided on Gokanji Publishing House. For it was the only corporation, which provided her with her own photographer and the freedom to report on anything she wished to. Not only that, she had her private office where she could work on her documents without any unnecessary disruptions. 

Within a few years, she rose to become the top personnel in her field. Her sharp wit and immense foresight assisted in her daily work. Unlike the other publishing companies that produced glossy pictures and scandalous articles about celebrities in a bid to increase their daily sales, she preferred to report on crimes, their repercussions as well as their significance to the world. And most of the time, she presented such insightful details into the psychology of the criminals that impressed the readers very much. As a result of this, the editor decided to create a column solely for her in the newspaper. 

Unfortunately, the years of fame seemed to have gone to her head. No longer did she waste any time sympathizing with the bereaved families but instead, she favored to make full use of the time searching for any inside scoop to the felonies committed. 

Because of that, she wrecked a couple of important investigations because the undesirable news had placed the perpetrators on their guard against the police, making it many times easier for the perpetrators to evade the police but several times harder for the police to capture them. Before long, her reputation in the police force grew so notorious that everyone there became very wary of speaking to her about any cases they might have on hand. Thus this action thwarted her chances of making the headlines.

Now that another juicy news landed itself in her lap, she was not going to let another opportunity slip through her fingers like that. Licking her lips in anticipation, she folded the scrap of paper in her hand and slipped them into her pocket.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 10:01:18 

Maki ran his calloused hand through his well-combed hair in irritation. It was most frustrating to have a case on his hands and giving it away without a challenge or a fight. How dare that greenhorn show such blatant disregard for his presence? That pimp-faced idiot needed to be taken down a peg or two. After all, Inspector Maki did assist in solving one of the toughest murder cases in the history of Kanagawa. Whereas the broad-shouldered man had both experience and paper qualifications to his credit, that lad only had the latter. Therefore he never understood the reason for the youngster's rapid rise through the police ranks to the title of Detective-Inspector, which by the way, was a rank higher than Maki's. _Arragh!_  

Ignoring the smart aleck, he scoured the surrounding area for any clues that the killer might have accidentally left behind.

In a careful manner, he slowly moved across the patch of grass for fear of treading on any piece of evidence that might be crucial to unraveling the mystery killer. Unfortunately, the greenery seemed to be protecting the murderer and revealed nothing to him. Suddenly, something bright glinted into his eyes. Eyes never once leaving the object, he picked it up and fingered it with the pad of his rough thumb. 

It was a paper clip. 

He was about to throw it away when a series of clicking sounds attracted his attention. Without turning, he knew who had turned up at the scene of the crime. 

Without wasting any time, he grabbed the camera from the timid, studious-looking photographer. "No pictures are to be taken! Do you hear? Where's your nosy supervisor?"

"Inspector Maki," a slick and condescending voice came from behind him, whereupon he wheeled around to face Ayako, dressed in faded jeans and T-shirt, standing in front of him, "We live in a democratic world. We are free to do whatever we want. Now please be nice and return the camera to my photographer." 

Ignoring her speech, he held the object high above their reach and narrowed his eyes at the duo. "How did you get wind of the news anyway?" 

"I have the most excellent sources. Now the camera?" Ayako reached out for it.

"You are to keep out of the area. Please stand there and take your pictures instead." Maki pointed vaguely to a stretch of tarred road winding through the woods.

"But that's so far away." Ayako put on her winning voice, hoping it would have some sort of effect on the seemingly heartless man, "The pictures won't come out any good. Besides I need to interview the officers about the crime."

"There will be no interviewing of officers right now. We'll have a press conference later tomorrow to reveal the details about the crime. But as for now…" Inspector Maki, who was fast losing his patience with the persistent woman, gestured threateningly, "Either stand there or I'll get my officers to chase you away from the crime scene." 

"I would like to see you try." Smirking, she tilted her head upwards in the air haughtily at the inspector, "And I'll have you in court so fast you won't even have time to say sorry."

"Like I ever will. Now SCOOT!"

Sensing that he was serious in carrying out his threat, a huffed Ayako and her photographer scampered off like frightened mice to the appointed place. However, once he ceased his concentration on her, she pulled her photographer to the other side of the crime scene where Detective-Inspector Jin was. If she could not work her charms on the hunky older man, why not try it on a young man instead. Perhaps her charms were more effective on him.

As for Inspector Maki, he continued with his survey of the area. At this juncture, he noticed a weird faint indentation on the muddy ground a distance away from the location of the body. There were many crisscross lines running all over it. Feeling apprehensive about the mark for some reason, he bent down and carefully examined it. It did not look like a shoe print, much less a footprint. Neither did it appear to be a tyre mark either. If it was a tyre mark, where was its partner? Except for that lone imprint on the ground, he could find no other similar traces anywhere. 

What could it be? 

Was this of any significance to the crime?

Just as he was pondering over this fact, he heard footsteps running towards him. 

"What took you so long?" hollered Inspector Maki at the panting constable.

Stifling a retort that was about to escape his lips, Constable Kiyota eyed him in distaste and grumbled instead, "I can't leave the telephone anytime I want, you know. I had to look for someone to stand in my place before I can leave."

"If you can't be early next time round, then don't be a policeman!"

And with that, he stormed off in anger, leaving the monkey-faced constable gaping in shock at the outburst.

"Now what's eating him?" muttered Kiyota under his breath.

Meanwhile, in the police station located in District A, a harried police officer was supporting a receiver on one shoulder and another on his other. Miyagi, the new recruit fresh from the police academy had been assigned to District A. Happily, he stepped into the station on his first day of work, all ready to prove his prowess at solving crimes when he was shoved the task of entertaining the callers' requests and demands on the telephones. Currently, the six objects on the counter were ringing non-stop ever since the moment he took over the job. 

"Madam, please don't cry. I can't hear you clearly," Recruit Miyagi pleaded with the third caller and when she failed to heed his advice, he decided to ignore her and turn his attention to a new caller instead. 

With two receivers on his shoulders and another one in his left hand, he picked up a fourth receiver, only to be deafened by a shrill scream about a missing cat.

"Madam, what's your address?" He shouted into the phone.

Immediately and simultaneously, four different voices told him four different addresses.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 10:08:59 

"What about Ruthie?" The redhead called out to the trio.

"Who's Ruthie?" Thoughtfully, Sendoh cocked his head sideways, as if trying to recall the name from their files. "Mitsui?"

Scratching his unshaven stub on his chin, Mitsui shrugged his shoulders in answer to the question.

"Sakuragi accepted a 'missing dog' assignment on our behalf earlier." Kenji offered as he carried the bag of groceries and moved towards the fridge.

"Since when do we take up such assignments?" Holding up the shaft of papers in his hand, Sendoh's eyebrows went up a notch higher than usual before a frown settled itself on his face. "Anyway, with this case on hand, I'm afraid I don't even have time to spare for your whining, Sakuragi."

And with that, Sendoh took his coat off the stand and headed towards the door. At once, the redhead directed his attention at Mitsui, who had suddenly developed a severe coughing fit, though to Sakuragi's ears, it sounded suspiciously like a chortle.

"I'm sure he would appreciate a lending hand on the assignment." Mitsui put both hands up in the air before following after the spiky-haired boy, "Sorry, pal."

"Kenji, you would help me right?" Sakuragi looked at his last ray of hope with pleading eyes.

"I better start unpacking the vegetables now before they start to make the office smell like a dump." 

"Isn't there anyone who's going to help me with this case?" The redhead wailed to the seemingly empty space.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 13:42:57

The fan orbited precariously above the young man spotting a shock of vibrant red hair. His bright intelligent eyes filtered through the various names on the map. Using a red marker, he circled the possible areas in the precinct where his client's missing dog might have escaped. At that instant, the telephone wailed like a police siren. Tearing his eyes away from the map, he reached over the huge unarranged piles of books and files for the entity.

However, before he could say anything, an apprehensive tone burst out, "Kenji?" 

"This is Sakuragi." He snapped rudely and paused for a moment for the opposite party's retaliation. 

But there was none. Instead, there was an uneasy pause.

The redhead's eyebrows knitted together into a frown as he continued, "Sendoh, what's wrong?"

"I think we are in _big_ trouble."

Heaves a big sigh of relief at completing the second chapter… enjoy reading, everyone! : ) Do read and review! 


	3. XForces 3

Thank you very much for your reviews. I'm glad you like the previous chapter. You are so kind to leave me suggestions and ideas as to how to improve the fic. Thank you… : )  

**Krappkarmin** – _I think I would be adding more characters in time to come. Maybe as a cameo or something. Do check them out. : )_

**Dimension & Alexia** – _Thanks for pointing out certain things to my fic to make it better. Alexia-san, I've altered the parts you pointed out in your review to the second chapter. Thanks. : )_

**Lambie** – _Yes, it's AU but it's not going to be yaoi. _

_Now onto the next chapter… : )_

X-Forces 

Wintry Evolution

03/01/2003

Chapter 3 

Saturday, Dec 12, 11:14:19

Now that she thought of it, she knew she had seen the dead girl somewhere before. The long, curling eyelashes… a pointed nose…the protruding ears… all of which enhanced her facial features considerably. It was hard to forget features as distinct as that. In the archive room of the publishing house, Ayako ran her hands through the familiar yellowed, flimsy pieces of newspapers, which she used to spend much time with in her early years as a professional reporter. Stirring a huge amount of dust by her action of pulling the box from the shelf, she coughed and sneezed vehemently as the tiny molecules tickled at her nose. 

After removing several boxes from their nesting places and rummaging through their contents, she finally found the article dated a few years ago that showed a faded picture of the dead corpse when she was still alive and kicking. Except that in place of the sharp pointed nose was a small blunt one and instead of the dyed black hair, the person in the paper had reddish brown hair. 

Tightly, she hugged the article to her chest before slipping it secretly into her pocket. Armed with the absolute conviction that the police did not have this piece of priceless information; Ayako snickered in delight at the unexpected find. Perhaps she could use it to trade for some inside scoop from the inspector.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 11:47:33

To accompany her white jumper and checkered short skirt, she wore black high-heeled boots and spotted a hairstyle so complicated that made Sendoh wonder the amount of time she spent dressing up like a clown every day. At that point in time, she was leaning against the window of a fashion boutique and appeared to be waiting for someone.

"What's her name?" Mitsui whistled softly at her great legs but added hastily a few seconds later, "On second thoughts, don't tell me."

Eyebrows arching a notch in mock surprise, the younger man grinned widely. Everyone in the agency knew it was Mitsui's policy not to get involved with their clients or targets in any way, this meant their names as well. At any rate, the spiky-haired lad started to review through her personal details in his mind.

Born to a Caucasian father and Japanese mother, she was known as Haruko to her close friends and classmates but Evelyn Tania Smith to her family members. In a few days' time, she was going to turn seventeen. Initially she was a very docile and hardworking child but she was getting unruly of late. Of the seven days in a week, she would return home in the wee hours of the morning for at least six days. Not only that, her results too showed signs of rapid decline. Where in the past, she would ace all her examinations easily, now she could only pass two out of five examinations. 

As he pondered over the possibilities for her drastic change, the spiky-haired lad watched intently as she entered an enclosed telephone booth and dialed a number. Her expression revealed nothing of what she was talking about. If only Kenji was present, he would know what the girl was talking about. The brown-haired boy learnt the art of lip-reading a year ago.

Just then, an old woman accidentally tripped over her own foot and fell heavily onto the ground in front of them. Despite witnessing the incident, no passers-by came forward to assist her to her feet. Without hesitation, the helpful Mitsui stepped towards her when his partner grabbed his sleeve and pulled him back with much force.

Sendoh shook his head as subtly as he could. "Ignore that old woman." 

"She fell, for goodness sake!" Mitsui hissed angrily as he roughly shook the younger man's hand off his checkered sleeve, "Where's your compassion?"

"This isn't the time for that. Don't forget, we're on an assignment." He whispered tonelessly as he glared at the reckless Mitsui.

"You can go on being professional if you want to. I'm helping her all the same." 

On that note, his colleague went over to the elderly woman and helped her up. With a low frustrated growl, Sendoh returned his attention to their target.

_"Sh*t!" _

She was gone.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 12:27:24

Adjusting his seating position to a more comfortable one, Inspector Maki rested his hands on the armrests at the same time he hitched up his legs on the desk. "Have you identified the girl yet?"

"The department is going through the database right now. I expect they will know the identity of the girl soon." Kiyota replied, as he stood, rapt with attention before the untidily cluttered desk.

"I see." The inspector struck a match and lit his cheap cigarette that was hanging limply from the corner of his lips. 

"Inspector, I don't think it's wise of you to smoke in an air-conditioned building…" The unsmiling serious constable started when his superior scowled in displeasure, "Sod the rules."

An expression of disapproval on his pale smooth face, Kiyota made no reply while he observed the hunky man pinch out the minute fire at the edge of the short match with his fingertips.

"So have you found out anything that might remotely resemble that crisscross marks I showed you just now?" Inspector Maki said, taking the cigarette from between his lips.

Apologetically, Kiyota shook his head a second time, thinking that it might not even be crucial a clue to the murderer's identity at all. Perhaps the imprint was already there a few days ago. Who knew? It was so faint to begin with and located too far away from the body that he hardly considered it essential evidence. If he were the Inspector, he would roam the area around the corpse as Detective-Inspector Jin had done. 

But unfortunately, he was not the Inspector. 

_Maki_ was. 

Unfortunately, he was not assigned to work in District B. 

But District _A_.

The _loser_ district. 

At the thought of this, Kiyota fumed in anger. 

When the constable reported at the station on his first day of work, he was surprised to hear Inspector Maki call him by another name, Hanagata. Upon further query, he realized that he was supposed to report for work at District B instead of A as stated in the document he was handed. If the typist had not gotten his name mixed up with that other police officer, he would have been assigned to District B, under the wings of the highly intelligent Detective-Inspector Jin. At any rate, the superintendents thought it was a waste of time and energy to submit a report requesting a transfer between the two new recruits to their respective work places, and thus they remained where they were. And so here Kiyota was, all because of a stupid mistake made by the irresponsible administrative assistant, who had not bothered to check her work thoroughly before she presented it to her boss.

As if sensing his unhappiness, the tanned man waved his subordinate back to his seat behind the enquiry desk. 

"Oh, this is a file the superintendent wanted me to give you." Constable Kiyota mumbled, leaving the blue folder on his desk before taking his leave.

However, before Inspector Maki could look through the blue folder, the telephone rang shrilly. The hunky man rifled through the mountain of documents and folders on the desk and floor for the damned object, which loved disappearing at times like this. Finally after some hurling of files and reports into the air to clear the area he was searching at that moment, he found it at the corner of the office, happily ringing away.  

"Inspector Maki speaking," stated he in a crisp, matter-of-fact voice.

Just then, Kiyota knocked on the door. Still on the telephone, the inspector waved him inside, whereupon the constable gave him another folder, this time, yellow that was marked "Classified". 

"Hello, Inspector Maki." 

Upon hearing that familiar nasal tone, which had on many occasions grated his nerves in an undesirable way, his concentration on the telephone call ceased immediately as he transferred it to the folder sitting before him instead. "Come off the act." 

Now that he had seen through her motive for calling him, Ayako wasted no time in getting to the point. "All right. I have a proposition for you." 

All the while absorbing the details about the identity of body they found in the woods, he made no visible or audible comment to her words. Regrettably, the file only consisted of her physical traits and some personal particulars. There was no mention about the evidence found on, around and near the dead body. He had a good mind to remind Kiyota to collect the file on that later. He wanted to know what the evidence had to insinuate about the crime, especially the mobile phone found at the scene of the crime. He found that item lying a distance away from the body after storming away from Kiyota earlier that day. However, Detective-Inspector Jin, who feared that the tanned man might contaminate it with his unwanted fingerprints, confiscated it straight away. 

Like he _ever_ would. 

He, _Inspector_ Maki, had not been a policeman for half a decade for nothing.

Not only that, that pimped-faced jerk issued strict orders to all departments that _he _was in charge of the case and not _Inspector_ Maki as presumed. How infuriating could one get? 

"I have some information about the girl you found in the woods." Ayako deliberately volunteered this very slowly; knowing well enough that it would arrest the man's attention at once, which it did, his ears pricked up, waiting for what she had to say to this, "I will trade this information with you if you give me some first hand information on the police investigations on this matter."

"What makes you think I'll accept this deal?"

"Based on the fact I know something you don't know." The cocky reporter whispered so certainly that he could almost visualize the trademark smirk on her face.

"_And_ did it ever occur to you that whatever you might know now would be revealed to us sooner or later in time to come?" 

"It might reestablish your status as the best inspector in Kanagawa," tempted the quick-thinking girl.

Within seconds, he doused the cigarette on the ashtray and sniggered in contempt at her words. "What makes you think I will accept your suggestion after rejecting your numerous propositions in the past?" 

Following that, he slammed down the receiver back into its place and gruffly headed for the exit of the building. When he passed by the enquiry desk where the constable who was busy teaching the new recruit the different methods of handling nuisance calls from pranksters, Inspector Maki conveyed his requests and strode out of the station in search of new information on the murder.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 12:35:21

His stomach growling in protest at the maltreatment meted to it, he stepped into a bakery round the corner and ran his eyes appreciatively over the butter-smelling buns and cakes. Taking a tray from the stack at the corner of the crowded shop, he pondered over the bread and pastries he should choose for his lunch. There were so many varieties available that he was spoilt for choice. Finally, he selected a cake with lots of peach atop it and a loaf of chocolate bread. While he was waiting in line to pay for his food, he noticed a familiar looking back view bending over a platter of pastries and arranging them in neat rows and columns.

When he realized who she was, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. 

He burst into his hallmark raucous laughter, which attracted everyone's attention to him at once. "Hmm… what if the editor hears of this? His money-churning machine here selling pastries!" 

"This is my father's shop, if you don't mind." She flashed him a disarming smile, which she ended it in a matter of seconds as she carried the platter to the shelves beside him. "And it doesn't matter if word gets to my editor that I'm helping out here. I have his full consent to do so."

"Then how about trying to bribe a police officer?" His eyes glinted dangerously.

Though inwardly she was boiling with fury at his insinuation, she managed to keep calm. "I'm not bribing. That's called an exchange of information." 

"What exactly did you want to tell me just now?"

"If I remember correctly, you slammed the phone on me. That tells me clearly your sentiments about the proposition I made."

"Fine, I shall report our telephone conversation in full detail to the superintendent then."

The fuming girl eyed him in hatred and revulsion. "You wouldn't dare!"

"Try me." A smug smile played over his lips.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 13:44:09

"What do you mean she's gone?" Sakuragi yelped with incredulity.

"I don't know. One minute she's here, the next… _poof_! Disappeared!" 

"Disappeared from your vision? Just like that?"

Exasperated, Sendoh yelled into the receiver, "How many times must I repeat it to you?" 

"Kenji's not…" The redhead halted in his speech as he saw a whistling Kenji walking in through the entrance and motioned him to come over, "Hold on, Kenji's here."

_What's the problem?_ Kenji mouthed to his red-haired colleague in confusion as he took the receiver from him.

After what seemed to be an hour long of speech by Sendoh, Kenji questioned tentatively, "You've lost the girl?" 

The spiky-haired boy nodded, forgetting that his partner was not present and thus could not see his actions.

"Calm down. It's fine. We'll just have to wait for her at the same place tomorrow and begin from there. Why are you so uptight, Sendoh? It's unlike you to lose your cool." Worried, Kenji sat himself on a chair as he waited for his reply.

A tensed Sendoh grimaced. "I don't know but my gut tells me there's something fishy going on. Something we are not aware of."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 14:14:56

In the meantime, a doctor who was struggling to keep awake after a day long of studying rotting or hacked up corpses was examining an unclothed body in the ice-cold mortuary. Switching on the recorder to document his findings on the body, he first proceeded with his visual examination.

The roots of her dark black tresses spotted faint traces of red, which he deduced was the original color of her hair. Soon his body examination brought him to her serene face. Every facial feature was perfectly in place but something about this unbelievable perfection nagged at him. He worried away, trying his best to identify the discrepancy but unfortunately, he was still unable to put a finger to it.

Giving up at last, he continued with his physical assessment of the rest of the body. Save for the rampant callous bloody stab wounds that destroyed the beautiful outline of the upper torso, everything seemed to be in place. That was true until he came to the lower half of the body. It was then it struck home the cause of the nagging feeling he experienced earlier with the sculpted body lying there peacefully, as if mocking him for his stupidity. 

Compared to the normal female pelvis, the corpse had an unusually big one. Furthermore, there was an unnatural contour to the pelvic area of the corpse. Upon further examination, he realized that it had gone under the knife before. Where the penis and testicles were located in the past, they were now non-existent. 

The female corpse was in reality a male, who had undergone a sex change operation.

At the newfound discovery, Doctor Rukawa hurriedly scuttled to where the intercom was and switched it on. Immediately a polite boyish voice piped through it.

"Yes, Doctor? Is there anything you want?"

"Yes, Hikiochi, get me the inspector in charge of Case Number 341."

A slight pause ensued and a rustling sound was heard after which his assistant answered, "That would be Detective-Inspector Jin Soichiro."

"He's in charge?" Doctor Rukawa frowned thoughtfully as he glanced at the deceased on the metallic rectangular table, "No, get me Inspector Shinichi Maki of District A."

Yes, compared to the young rookie, Inspector Maki would be better equipped with the knowledge to handle this case.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 14:29:01

In a brute manner, a firm hand seized her arm and hauled her resisting body towards the dark alley near the bakery. Irked, she clawed at his hand like a wild cat and screamed at him to release her right away. But he did not. Soon they came to the end of the alley where he pushed her forcefully against the wall. Upon physical contact with the uneven rough wall, she winced in pain and glared at him in fury at the way he treated her. To avoid being scratched at with her sharp fingernails, the man before her pinned her hands to the wall above her head.

"We can do this the gentle way or the rough way." His breath felt strangely warm and comforting against her ear.

Surprisingly, her heart started pumping harder and harder as her body senses became more aware of his masculine presence. Without being conscious of her actions, she chewed her lips nervously and her breathing became more labored. She noted him study her face in full detail and suddenly felt very insecure of her looks at that moment. She watched as his eyes stop at her full red lips and reflexively licked them. For once, she was at a loss of words. 

Inspector Maki raised his eyes level to hers and grinned in such a suave way that no woman could resist his charms, though what he was going to do next reduced his appeal by half.

"I would like that piece of information, if you don't mind."

Ayako's brain was swirling from the close proximity they were engaged in and she found her ability to think diminishing greatly. "Why do you want it so much?"

"Because I'm a policeman? And my job is to hunt down any possible clue that helps to solve the crime?" He cocked his head sideways and winked at her in his trademark cheeky way.

"Do you then have to resort to this?"

"No but you left me with no other choice."

"You've no other motive for doing this?"

Frowning, he enquired curiously, "What other motive should I have?"

"Let my hands go."

An incredulous look planted itself on his face. "What? And let you scratch me again?!" 

"The article is in my pocket. I need my _hands_ to reach into my pocket for it."

Inspector Maki peered intently at the faded words in the article, which Ayako handed him. "What does this have to do with the crime?"

"Look at the picture for goodness sake. Whatever are you looking at?"

"He does look like the body we found in the woods, so?"

"So?" Ayako echoed impatiently before continuing, "Don't you think it's funny that there can be two people in this world who look so similar to each other?"

"Have you found out their relationship then?"

"No. There's hardly any available records on the person in the picture."

"…"

"But you being in the police force and thus having access to the profiles of everyone in the country, should be able to find out if they are related."

Raising the article to his forehead, he awarded her with a vague salute before turning around to leave her. "Thanks." 

When he left, surprisingly for the first time, Ayako felt hollow and disappointed.

***

As he got off his car, Inspector Maki scanned through the faded old article Ayako gave him, finding it hard to believe there could be two people in this world who bore such uncanny resemblance to each other. At any rate, the article reported this man Taku Ito and his successive failures in writing after his one-shot hit in the literary world with his book, '_The Downfall Of The Famous'_.  Being a recluse, he did not enjoy staying in the limelight at all. He vehemently refused to have his photographs taken or interviewed. This was perhaps the only article that carried a picture of him. Maybe that was why Inspector Maki was unable to recognize the name when Ayako showed him the article just now. In fact, he doubted anybody would. 

Rumors had it that he was an only child in the family. His father died when he was two and thus his mother slogged hard for money to feed and educate him. Unfortunately, before he turned twelve, his mother died of exhaustion. Since then, he led a lonesome life, apparently never finding enough comfort in any women to marry them. He barely supported himself by writing for some sleazy magazines and newspapers before he hit the jackpot with '_The Downfall Of The Famous'_. 

He wondered what the connection was between the writer and the dead corpse in the woods.

With the intention to call the pathologist, he took his mobile phone out of his pocket.

_Arragh!_

Of all times, it had to break down now. Irritably, he shook it in his hand and after failing to obtain any success with it, kept the miserable item in his coat pocket and stepped into the police station.

"Inspector Maki, there was a call for you about fifteen minutes ago." Miyagi started as he handed a file to the tanned man, who was walking towards the enquiry desk. "I've left the note in your in-tray."

"Thanks, my boy." Taking the file from police officer, Inspector Maki faced the monkey-faced Kiyota, who was struggling to match his fast-paced steps, and inquired in a gruff undertone,  "Did you check out the last number she dialed on her mobile phone like I told you to?"

"Of course I did!" The constable quivered in indignation, miffed that his superior had placed so little faith in his ability in carrying out orders.

Maki frowned at the sudden change in his behavior but shook it off as he proceeded in a business-like manner, "So what about it?" 

"The last call she made to…" Kiyota faltered for a second before continuing in a small voice, "It was to our station."

"What?!" Hands on both sides of his waist, Maki's footsteps dwindled to a stop, pursed his lips in disbelief, and then turned around to face the monkey-faced man, whose cheeks were, at the moment, as red as tomato.

"The last call she made… it was to _our _police station." 

_Oh no! What's going to happen next? _

_Three chapters within two weeks… wow… Hope you enjoy reading this chapter. Please do review… : ) I'm going for my lunch now…_


	4. XForces 4

crazy4u-san -- If you are reading this, can you please leave me your email address by sending me an email or leaving your email address in your review? Because I am afraid I bore everyone with my answer to your question. Completed version of chapter 4, although not very much but at least I'm not skiving… Thanks for reading this. All right, enough of this small talk and on with the fic… : ) 

**X-Forces**

Wintry Evolution

22-02-2003

Chapter 4

Saturday, Dec 12, 14:13:26

After making the fatal mistake of allowing the girl the slip earlier that day, Sendoh was determined not to repeat the same error now. His eyes trained on the entrance of the trendy café like a hawk lying in wait for its prey, he absentmindedly added his fifth packet of sugar into the cup of black coffee.

It was already thirteen minutes past two in the afternoon and yet the girl was nowhere in sight, which was very strange. This was her favorite haunt and she would usually frequent it at this time of the day every day. Perhaps she was held up by something. But unfortunately, that lame reason did not dissipate his anxiety one bit. If anything, it only served to increase the sense of foreboding that was fast growing in him. 

Apologetic about screwing up the assignment, Mitsui watched worriedly as his partner opened the seventh packet for the day. Finally he could take it no longer and voiced his concern.

"I'm afraid you will be getting diabetes soon if you keep adding sugar to your coffee."

Distracted from his reverie, the younger man returned his gaze to the silent, motionless cup sitting before him and the several opened packets on the table. Issuing an audible sigh, he pushed the cup away from him and rested his forehead in the palms of his hands.

Mitsui politely cleared his throat, an indication that he wanted to talk to his partner about something. However, Sendoh did not raise his head to look at him but Mitsui decided to proceed with what he wanted to say anyway.

"Why didn't you tell Kenji that I blotched up the operation?"

"Does it matter?" The spiky-haired boy leaned back against the cushioned chair and crossed his arms in front of his muscular chest with an undecipherable frown on his face. "The most important thing now is to get the assignment back on track."

Mitsui made no visible reply.

"If you feel guilty about it, it's up to you then to confess it to Kenji." Sendoh leaned forward, thrusting his grim face towards his slightly guilt-stricken partner, "But don't depend on me to soothe your conscience for you."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 14:29:42

"Ruthie!" A pretentiously gentle voice cooed in the midst of a rich residential area in Kanagawa, "_Wherrrre_are you?"

When it became clear to him that the stupid psychotic poodle was nowhere in the vicinity, the redhead crossed out one of the names of the districts in his dog-eared notebook. The sun was hammering down harshly on him and wearily, he wiped the profuse beads of perspiration from his forehead with the back of his hand. Eyes going starry-eyed at the wide psychedelic array of flowers in the area, he leaned against the wall in exhaustion.

At this juncture, a ball came rolling up his way and finally stopped a few inches away from his worn-out shoe. Not long after he picked it up, he heard a shuffle. Raising his head in the direction of the noise, he noticed a little boy standing some distance away from him. The little boy caught sight of the picture of the dolled up poodle and giggled childishly.

"Is that your dog?" He pointed to it while he reached his hand for his ball.

The older man smiled affectionately at the small boy, who was only the height of his thighs. "No but I'm looking for it. Have you seen it anywhere?"

Nodding fervently, the little boy wriggled his chubby little index finger in the direction of the woods.

"Thanks." Sakuragi grinned widely and patted the little boy's head before heading quickly for the woods.

***

Deciding on a different tactic to lure the stubborn animal from its hiding place, the redhead began to whine like a forlorn lover searching for his partner. After several attempts, an equally whiney piney yelp sounded in the far distance. Elated, Sakuragi followed in the direction of the bark but before he could do so, accidentally tripped over a stone lying in his path.

Except it was not a stone.

It was a _foot protruding from the bushes. _

Shocked but nevertheless curious, he approached the bushes slowly and cautiously, pushing his way through the bushes. What he saw next horrified him so much that he lost his balance and toppled over, falling headlong onto the object lying in wait for him there.

Eyes widening in terror and heart thumping fast, he instantly pushed himself away from the open-eyed dead corpse. His hands were stained red with the pool of blood that was oozing in abundance from it. Disgusted yet afraid, he began to wipe his limbs dry of the red liquid but without any success. If anything, the stain on his hands only got worse.

However, his detective instincts soon began to set in and he accessed the dead body before him. Glaring bloody stab wounds littered its torso. Even though he was not touching it, he could still feel slight warmth radiating from her mutilated body, which meant that she was not killed long ago. Perhaps the murderer was still lurking around the area. At that thought, he swiftly stood up and scanned the surrounding as best as he could for any signs of human movement but there was none. Eyebrows knitted together into a grimace, he returned his scrutiny to the corpse, feeling that he had seen her somewhere, though he could not exactly match her looks with a specific name.

Another pitiful whimper sounded in the distance.

It was then Sakuragi remembered where he had seen the girl before.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 14:48:10

"How could that call have come in without you noticing it?" An enraged Inspector Maki hollered at the squirming young officer, nearly deafening him in the process.

"Not that I could help it, you know." Constable Kiyota blurted out defensively despite his fear for the burly, broad-shouldered man, as he had done nothing wrong. 

At least _nothing_ seriously wrong that warranted such a severe scolding from anyone. 

After all, the police station was severely short-handed and he was the only person manning the enquiry desk at that time. What with six different calls coming through at the same time as well as the public streaming into the station in hordes complaining about trivial insignificant things like someone stepping on his toes, it was a wonder he was still standing here today. Things did not pick up even with the addition of the new recruit, Miyagi. The workload was still as heavy as before. Instead of assisting them in any way, Inspector Maki would bellow at anyone for not following his orders. 

As if _he_ owned the police station. 

However, judging from his superior's expression of disbelief, it was very clear that the inspector had thought Kiyota incompetent and inefficient. 

A wave of indignation flooded through him as he glared at the hunky taller man. "Anyway, there wasn't any call that was worth checking into at that time."

"A murder isn't worth checking into?!" Inspector Maki snapped scathingly as he threw the file forcefully onto the table and grabbed the note from the in-tray once they entered the untidy office.

"I didn't remember anyone calling in to report a _would-be_ murder." If Constable Kiyota were another inch taller than the inspector, he would not be standing there, asserting his innocence. He could have beaten the arrogant and demanding man to a pulp for doubting him. 

"Didn't remember or just plain forgotten?" 

"I might be slow but I'm definitely _not_ a forgetful person." The monkey-faced constable half screamed at the unforgiving hateful man.

Muttering a string of curses under his breath and crushing the note in his hands, Inspector Maki turned to face the red-faced officer, who was boiling with uncontrollable anger. "I'll deal with you later."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 14:58:19

Coat half worn, Doctor Rukawa was hurrying out of the mortuary when Inspector Maki paid him a visit. 

"There's a second body found in the woods. Didn't you get the message?" The pale doctor adjusted his coat and tie while hastily making his way through the empty parking lot to his white Benz with the man following after him.

_Bummer!_

Suddenly remembering his unreliable mobile phone in his pocket, the exasperated inspector slapped his forehead. Following that, he accompanied the doctor into his car.

"Why did you summon me just now?" Inspector Maki fingered a weird looking ornament, which faintly resembled the shape of a dead body, hanging from Doctor Rukawa's rear view mirror. 

An expression of revulsion displayed on his tanned, wrinkled-drawn face, he slipped his hand into his pocket for a cigarette while the doctor floored the accelerator as soon as the engine started. Due to the unanticipated action, the packet of cigarettes hurled itself out of the inspector's grip and onto the floor and seats in the car. The doctor _sure_ knew how to drive.

As the pale-faced man turned the corner, he flicked his eyes towards the inspector, who was bending downwards to retrieve all his cigarettes, before returning his attention towards the road. "The dead body you found in the woods this morning was a man."

At the unexpected revelation, Inspector Maki's mouth gaped open and his cigarette fell out from between his lips. Uncertainly, he looked at the driver for a second confirmation at what he had just heard.

"That's right. He underwent a sex-change operation. Thought you might want to know that." The doctor repeated grimly as he brought the automobile to a halt in front of the traffic lights that had just turned red.

Millions of thoughts immediately flashed past the inspector's mind. However the most significant of them all was the connection between the man in the article and the dead body in the woods. Without wasting any time, He borrowed the doctor's mobile phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Kiyota!" He barked immediately once the line got through. "No, I don't care what your fu*cking name is! Now listen very carefully…" He raised his voice another notch higher but continued in a slower manner than before, as though he was speaking to a retard, "I want you to find out all you can about Taku Ito and Sumiko Taki (the name of the dead body)."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 14:59:07

"Kenji?" An urgent voice filtered into the phone. "You there?"

"Yes, speaking." The brown-haired boy spoke into the receiver as he uploaded new information about their detective agency on their home page. "What's the matter, Sakuragi? Lost sight of the dog again?"

"No?" The person on the other end of the line exclaimed in resentment at the insinuation of his incompetence. "I've found a body. Haruko's body to be exact."

The mention of that name distracted Kenji from his work. 

_Haruko's__ body?__ She was killed?_

Instantly, his quick mind clicked into gear, pondering over the best course of action Sakuragi was to take at the moment. 

"Now listen very carefully. I want you to look out for any possible clues the murderer might have left behind. Anything out of the ordinary, _anything… just take note of them."_

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 15:18:56

A series of furious and frantic barkings greeted them the moment they arrived at the scene of the crime. Straight away, the efficient doctor wore the synthetic beige gloves and got to work. 

Meanwhile, the inspector walked over to a flustered police officer who was, at that minute, taking down a statement from a redhead. The redhead was gesticulating wildly and dramatically in a bid to get his message across more clearly while the excited poodle was joyously adding to the commotion by barking without any self-control. 

But since when did dogs have any self-restraint?

"Good morning, Inspector Maki." The reassured officer presented a smart salute at the taller man as he recounted the details of the statement off his notebook but the man waved him off, preferring to speak to the witness himself.

However, before Inspector Maki could do that, he heard a low whistle from Doctor Rukawa. Striding towards him as briskly as he could, the inspector reached him in a matter of seconds. As the doctor stood up, he relieved himself of the bloody gloves and threw them into a plastic bag.

"There are signs of rape on this girl." Doctor Rukawa uttered, throwing one last glance at the mutilated figure on the grass. "But the MO is the same as the body found in the morning. Multiple slashings and stabbings. I suspect the fatal wound came from the stab at the chest but I can't be certain until I examine the body in greater detail."

"Can you estimate the time around which she was killed?" Inspector Maki brought out the crumpled pack of cigarettes and was about to light one of the said items when he detected the frown of disapproval on Doctor Rukawa's pale, worn-out face. 

Nodding his head in apology, Inspector Maki silently slid the packet back into his coat pocket while taking a rectangular piece of chewing gum from the other pocket. Popping it into his mouth with agile ease, he had hoped that would help him fight off the urge to smoke for the moment until he left the place. 

Everyone in the police circle knew how particular Doctor Rukawa could be about contaminating the crime scene. He had always reiterated that the importance of re-constructing the misc-en-scene to the most perfect detail ever with the available information on hand. That was not only a major requirement in his line of professional ethnics but also a respect for the deceased. Since the deceased could no longer speak up for their own rights, it was only up to the pathologists and the police to fight for theirs. And therefore, he imposed the famous three rules – no smoking, no touching, and no tromping on the grounds which were of fifty meters radius from the location of the body even when he arrived at the site.

"The body is still warm. My guess is she is dead for four to five hours but with the weather we have today, it is hard to tell. I can only confirm the time when I examine her further at the morgue." Doctor Rukawa held his briefcase in his hand, an indication he was about to leave the place when Detective-Inspector Jin appeared, huffed and red-faced from the running.

"What's going on here?" The pimp-faced man glared at his rival in anger, irked that the burly man should have arrived earlier than he did and received first hand information about the mutilated body from the doctor when he gave extremely _strict_ orders about the confidentiality about this case.

"Dead body, multiple stab wounds…" Inspector Maki shrugged his shoulders carelessly, deliberately positioning a cigarette between his lips for the younger man's benefit, knowing well enough that it would only get _Detective-Inspector_ Jin more worked up. "You name it, she has _it_."

Not going to be lured into a juvenile argument between two equally immature delinquents, Doctor Rukawa quickly took his leave, leaving the two inspectors to fight it out among them.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 15:57:12

"How was the girl killed?" Sendoh and Mitsui returned to the office immediately after receiving Kenji's call. "How did she get to the woods in the first place? It's so far away from the place we had last seen her." 

"Wait a moment, Sendoh. Let's see what Sakuragi has to say." Kenji motioned for the spiky-haired boy to sit on the empty chair beside him.

"She was first raped, and then stabbed to death. And apparently from what I heard from their conversation, there was a same murder there this morning." Sakuragi placed a plate of dog food on the floor for the poodle, which had been whining for the past one hour. "They deduced the murders were committed by the same person."

"You discovered her body at about half past two?" Mitsui asked the redhead and when he nodded, Mitsui added thoughtfully, "We lost her at about a quarter to twelve. That makes it about two and a half hours…"

"The time needed to take a bus to the woods stretches far more than that. Imagine the time needed to wait for the bus." Sendoh interjected, "And what about the time needed to switch between buses?"

"You are suspecting someone brought her there instead and killed her?" Sakuragi scratched his head, a frown on his smooth chiseled face.

"Why not?" countered Kenji, clearing a space on the table for him to sit on, "Did you notice anybody suspicious while you were following her?"

"Not that we can think of." Mitsui rubbed the unshaven stub on his chin ruefully. "What about you, Sendoh?"

Before his colleague could reply, the redhead slipped his hand into his pocket and brought out a crumbled piece of paper for his colleagues to take a look. "Oh, I noticed a very bizarre thing at the scene just now but I didn't point it out to the officer-in-charge." 

It was a drawing of a crisscross mark. 

"What can you make out of this imprint, Sendoh?" Mitsui called out to his partner but the spiky-haired boy was far too immersed in his own thoughts to notice. 

Sendoh could distinctly recall someone following the girl earlier that day. However, as the man disappeared after walking along the same route as the girl for a couple of blocks, Sendoh had not taken much notice of him. Now come to think of it, there was a very high possibility that the stranger vanished because he had somehow detected Mitsui and Sendoh trailing the girl. In his mind, he could see the faint outline of the male who was following Haruko and there was something not quite right with his getup. Slowly, he ran over the vague figure inch by inch, starting from his head, after that, his shoulders, then his hands…

There was something awkward about those hands. What was it? How was it that Sendoh could not recall seeing any fingers? And then he had it. The man was wearing gloves, which explained why the spiky-haired man could not remember seeing any fingers. But whoever in his right frame of mind would wear gloves under the hot afternoon sun? 

Unless he had a devious plan in store for his victim…

Eyes flying open in shock, Sendoh placed his index finger on his lips, an act he had grown accustomed to do when he was rapidly working his brain cells. As best as he could, he attempted to construct the facial features of the man in his mind.

                                    *                                  *                                  *

Saturday, Dec 12, 16:03:56

"Earth to Ayako!" Her smiling assistant knocked lightly on the slightly agape door, knocking her supervisor back into reality before she entered the neatly tidied room with all the files and books immaculately situated in their respective places. "I've been knocking on the door for ages. What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Ayako whipped her long curly hair into a bun and inserted an elongated object akin to a chopstick into the coil of hair. "What do you want?"

As the curly-haired supervisor motioned her to sit on the chair in front of the table, her assistant handed her some documents. "I've got some news about the person you wanted me to find out about. Apparently, the Immigration Department has records of Taku Ito traveling out of the country but he never returned to the country ever since."

"What's so new about that? People move around all the time." Pausing for a moment, Ayako rapidly gleaned through the papers.

"But one month later, someone else returned to Japan despite having no records of leaving the country." Her subordinate beamed, seemingly very proud at her accomplishment of being a step ahead of her superior. "No prizes for guessing who."

That caught Ayako's full attention now. "What are you suggesting?"

"Doesn't it strike you as odd that two people can bear such uncanny resemblance to each other when it's proven that Taku Ito has no living kin in this world?"

Ayako narrowed her eyes at her jubilant junior while she waited for her assistant to continue.

"He was said to have a _fetish for dressing in women's clothes."_


End file.
